William Hess of Colorado Springs, Colo., has served 10 years in the Army, with two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. As Platoon Sergeant in a Combat Engineer Company, his primary job is finding and destroying IEDs to clear the way for follow-on forces. In August 2011, after roadside bombs struck three separate vehicles, William disregarded his own safety and, while under enemy fire, rushed to the aid of wounded soldiers. William has two sons, Aiden and Luke. Aiden has Down syndrome, and so William gives presentations about the condition to educate his peers and subordinates about the condition.